


the world has its shine

by orphan_account



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Afterlife, First Kiss, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Same-Sex Marriage, like. its full of em
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-06 01:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11025336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Two moments, centuries away from each other.





	the world has its shine

**Author's Note:**

> this is so self-indulgent i hate myself but... enjoy.

Alexander writes down John's ideas against slavery in the paper. The quill feels sort of small, sort of insignificant against his hand, pressed against the paper. He knows his words can change the world, that John's ideas can change the world. But it looks insignificant right now. He hopes they aren't in the magnitude of history, for their unestablished country and the world.

"Do you think that they'll ever make sodomy legal?" he asks without stopping himself in time. He's seen how John stares at both Lafayette and him, how his father commented about his lack of interest in women, how he married a woman purely out of guilt.

He takes a side glance to his partner in crime, his best friend, his sort of not really person he likes romantically. His freckles are like constellations, though, and his curly ponytail makes him want to play with it so bad. _Okay, calm down._ John's face has only paled, as if he just made a big mistake.

"I mean," John says, his voice careful and his eyes shifting everywhere in their dimly lit room. "Maybe they will one day. But I don't think it'll be anytime soon."

"I hope I'll see it after I die," Alexander tells him, licking his lips as he looks at him. His face is back to its usual color, even a little darker with a slight blush. He looks completely adorable, and the impulse to just claim those lips into his is so _strong_.

John bites his lip, clear fear in his face, as if he thinks someone else is going to hear this conversation. "Yeah," he says, though, emotionless. Alexander sighs. "We could say something about, uh," he starts, pointing at the half-written essay, and Alexander's quill hits the paper again. "About how they're human too. About how they do have a soul."

Alexander writes fast, shallow, hurriedly. He thinks about John's nervousness, his clear anxiety, and he just wants to kiss it better. When he finishes the paragraph he looks at the other man. The older man looks just stunning, and Alexander thinks of the men holding hands in Charlestown and the held-through whispers with his mom about boys.

And his mind is drifting away from the paper by when he puts his hand on John's hair, and then their lips meet. John gasps in surprise before he lets himself be kissed, and Alexander finds himself loving how John's lips taste. They're chapped, they're bitten, but they taste bittersweet and with the promise of rebellion in them.

"Alex," he breathes when they pull away, his eyes wide open as he looks at his best friend. Alexander looks for his hand and wraps his own on his, squeezing softly. "I-I."

"Hey, it's okay," Alexander tells him, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. John is shaking like a leaf, shallow breaths leaving him before he moves his shoulders and tries to calm down. "We'll figure it out."

"Are you sure?" John asks in a whisper. Alexander knows he's scared. He knows he can't be open about this, _they_ can't be open about this.

"Yes," Alexander nods. His hand wanders to the other's cheek and he caresses it a little, smiling. "Can I kiss you?" he's uncertain, uncertain of what the future holds for someone who likes boys and girls, like him. He doesn't know what to expect from the world, when everyone thinks it's wrong because they're not procreating.

They aren't having children by doing this, so for some reason it's wrong. It's not like General Washington doesn't have any children and yet he's married. It's not like people choose to not have children sometimes.

But John nods silently, and he claims his lips again. He rushes forward enough for them to lose balance and they end up falling on the floor, Alexander on top of John. When he pulls away and opens his eyes again he looks at John's eyes, his freckles, and he feels in love all over again.

"Your eyes are beautiful," Alexander tells him, not saying the words he wants to say, that he feels will throw his world off its axis. _I love you_ , he thinks, but he can't form it in his tongue. It feels too strong, if he's open about loving him he feels like his world will crumble around him.

An immigrant and a pederast, he muses. Everyone would hate him just a little bit more because of the second term that would be slapped to him. He fears it.

"I love you," John says, though, pulling him out of his thoughtfulness. His mouth is agape for a second, and then John is the one to kiss him, and Alexander feels overpowered by how much he loves John, and how much John loves him.

"I love you too," Alexander says. And he doesn't think it through, and it feels too powerful, but he smiles.

John hugs him. It feels warm and too good. Alexander doesn't know if he'll ever feel able to marry a woman when he's so in love with a man like John.

—

It's been over two centuries since Alexander died when same-sex intercourse is legal all over the United States. The afterlife is peaceful, lacking of judgement and all of the people he knew are there. He's seen the world change through their window to the Earth.

He's seen sodomy change name to homosexuality, to gayness. He's ended calling himself bisexual, and John accepted the label of gay as soon as it turned up. Madison and Lafayette ended up calling themselves gay too, much to everyone's surprise.

Alexander and Eliza didn't talk much now that they were in the afterlife. Eliza went and started talking to Maria, making themselves understand each other. There's rumors of Maria kissing Eliza, but nothing has been confirmed by either of them. He's happy with how the events have turned out throughout the centuries.

He remembers celebrating with his boyfriend when the end of a civil war made slavery illegal. Jefferson was more than bitter about the change of events, but Alexander saw him change his views and end up being ashamed of owning slaves back in his mortal lifetime.

The years don't pass in Heaven like they do on Earth. A month up there is a year down there, so by when it's twelve months since sodomy is legal all over the United States, a new ruling is passed.

"It's legal," Alexander cries against John's chest, who is still half-asleep as he just woke up. He sobs as he hugs him tight, and he remembers the date— June twenty-sixth, 2015.

"What's legal?" Jefferson says as he gets closer to the couple.

"Gay marriage," he says, his smile triumphant.

Jefferson's eyes open wide and his jaw drops before he regains his composure. "I have to tell Jemmy!" he exclaims, and he turns around and runs to James' place. They all live in what one could call apartments, but as Heaven is infinite, they aren't scared of overpopulation or anything of the sort.

"I'm so glad," John tells him with a huge smile as he kisses him. Alexander sobs against his lips, and he's so, so glad they've gotten to this point in history. He's seen gay marriage become legal in various places of the globe, although it isn't legal anywhere in Asia and Africa yet.

He's still grateful they're moving towards a brighter future. He's seen how transgender people have been more important, and although he had a hard time growing to understand the term, he now supports them fully. Hell, he saw Angelica start wearing more masculine clothing in Heaven. Though he hadn't said much regarding it, everyone started using masculine pronouns for him as soon as he cut his hair short.

Alexander is beyond happy as he kisses John, the ring in his finger feeling heavier than ever but yet so good. He's been married to him for years now, as soon as he heard it was, in fact, a thing that could happen.

The world doesn't seem terrible now.


End file.
